Many consumers have difficulty finding items, such as music or videos, that they like, whether online, in a retail store or at home. For example, studies have shown that many consumers who enter music retail stores intending to buy, leave without making a purchase and that many of those unsatisfied consumers had fully intended to buy music on that visit. The online shopping experience, with its even larger selection, can be even more challenging to consumers. For example, to discover music, consumers must rely on rough genre classification tools or collaborative filtering technology. Neither is effective, as reflected in the purchasing patterns in the industry. In 2000, less than 3% of active music titles accounted for over 80% of sales Consumers lack an effective means of browsing and discovering new music they will like.
On the other side of matching equation, the would-be music transaction, music retailers, record labels, and other delivery channels strive to find the right listeners for the music they have to offer. No current means exist for the cost-effective promotion of extensive product lines to a wide audience. The economics of national promotion forces record labels to consolidate their marketing efforts and rely on “hits” to meet annual growth targets. Music consumers are not familiar with the vast majority of music releases, which, as a result, are not purchased and are unprofitable. The present invention is directed to novel methods and systems for retailers and content providers to better understand consumers and target music promotions.